I love rental properties.
$45,000 in stock produces $1,800 a year at the 4% SWR and will sell for $45,000.
$45,000 in a single-family home in my market produces $4,800 a year in profit (i.e., after taxes, expenses and repairs/vacancy set-asides). And if I sell it I will put $75,000 in my pocket after the realtor takes their 6%.
Yeah, I put more work into finding and fixing up the property. (Significantly more work!)
And I spend an hour or two a couple of times a year dealing with issues that crop up. The property management company deals with the rest.
And if I know I might need some ready cash for something, I can prepare for that and set up a HELOC on the property.
There are also downsides, but real estate has a lot of upside compared to stocks.